From owner-freebsd-embedded@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jan 16 15:36:01 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: embedded@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B3D3F16A468 for ; Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:36:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from raj@semihalf.com) Received: from mail.semihalf.com (mail.semihalf.com [83.15.139.206]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1EA5813C45B for ; Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:36:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from raj@semihalf.com) Received: from localhost (unknown [127.0.0.1]) by mail.semihalf.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4FA3E1437E; Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:42:35 +0100 (CET) Received: from mail.semihalf.com ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (mail.semihalf.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 29406-05; Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:42:33 +0100 (CET) Message-ID: <478E245C.2090306@semihalf.com> Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:35:56 +0100 From: Rafal Jaworowski MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "M. Warner Losh" References: <478CD60B.7040901@semihalf.com> <20080115.100600.-1350498837.imp@bsdimp.com> In-Reply-To: <20080115.100600.-1350498837.imp@bsdimp.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Virus-Scanned: by amavisd-new at semihalf.com Cc: embedded@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Interfacing FreeBSD with U-Boot X-BeenThere: freebsd-embedded@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Dedicated and Embedded Systems List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:36:01 -0000 M. Warner Losh wrote: > In message: <478CD60B.7040901@semihalf.com> > Rafal Jaworowski writes: > : Hi, > : > : The topic of integrating FreeBSD with U-Boot has already been discussed here, > : so I'd like to let people know that the following code has recently been > : integrated with main line U-Boot: > : > : http://www.denx.de/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=u-boot.git;a=commit;h=500856eb1707ed17d9204baa61dd59948d3b2899 > : > : This brings a machine and arch independent API which allows to utilise U-Boot > : facilities (console, storage, networking) in standalone applications; the > : interface was developed in order to have embedded FreeBSD/powerpc running on > : U-Boot-based devices in native and uniform manner: loader(8) runs as a > : standalone application on top of U-Boot and kicks off the kernel as expected. > : > : Initial code for loader(8) + gluing with this new API is available on the P4 > : e500 branch, and was tested with Freescale MPC85xx PowerPC systems. It mostly > : comprises a generic lib, with only a tiny and well defined piece dependent on > : the machine so that other embedded architectures (ARM, MIPS) can use it with > : minimal effort. > > This is great news. I'll see about getting the necessary bits for the > arm and mips stuff I'm working on in shape. > > I'm curious about one thing. What would happen if one were to boot > the kernel directly on an unmodified uboot system? > Pretty much what we had to the moment: in such case the kernel needs to be loaded to memory manually at U-Boot prompt and control passed to it explicitly. It would learn it hasn't been provided with regular metadata from the loader and fall back to some built-in settings... BTW: I have some preliminary ARM loader(8) gluing already written, but didn't manage to test the new API with this arch yet, but this will happen eventually :-) Rafal